Liyana (Aaron and Amanda Kopp, 2017, Qatar/Swaziland/USA) Ages 7 and up

Liyana combines documentary and animation to create a uniquely compelling movie experience. Set in a Swaziland orphanage, the film follows five amazing children taking a class with a master storyteller. The group creates a fictional tale about a young girl, Liyana, who embarks on a perilous quest to reunite with her brothers. The children collectively transform their own difficult, real-life experiences into Liyana’s bold adventures, which are then realized through beautiful animations (not unlike last year’s popular Preschool Poets). An ode to the power of storytelling and the strength of the human spirit, Liyana is an uplifting, genre-defying film that’s not to be missed! (77 mins., DCP)

Parental advisory: while sensitively handled, this film deals with challenging family histories and the lingering impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. In English and SiSwati, with English subtitles. If you have any questions about the film, please contact us at edweb@wexarts.org or (614) 688-3986. We can’t wait to see you!